Seonna Hong's Tender Paintings Navigate Contradiction with Care

"If there's a feeling that could sum up the whiplash of living online and off, it might be cognitive dissonance. This deep sense of unease emerges when our actions and beliefs don't align or when something we'd previously thought true is proven false. Psychology tells us that the constructive way to deal with this unwanted feeling is to incorporate the new information into our lives, instead of pretending it doesn't exist or continuing to believe something inaccurate."

"In an era of AI slop and conspiracy theories ruling the highest levels of government, cognitive dissonance will likely be a fixture of contemporary life for the foreseeable future. It's also an apt title for a new body of work by Los Angeles-based artist Seonna Hong opening this month at Hashimoto Contemporary. Hong, whose work in television and feature animation has won her an Emmy, is best known for her layered, autobiographical paintings."

"In this new body of work, we witness tender moments of care and reciprocity amid environments riddled by unknown disasters. Hong frequently cites the growing threat of the climate crisis as a central point of her practice, and while environmental collapse is present in these new pieces, the artist also touches on the political situation in the U.S. and global struggles for life and dignity."

Contemporary life carries pervasive cognitive dissonance as online misinformation, AI errors, and conspiratorial governance reshape perceptions. Los Angeles-based artist Seonna Hong presents a new body of layered, autobiographical paintings that place faceless figures within abstract landscapes marked by visible brushstrokes, rainbows, and barren trees. The works depict tender care, reciprocity, community, and gestures of resistance amid environments scarred by unknown disasters and environmental collapse. The paintings reference climate crisis, U.S. political tensions, and global struggles for dignity. Specific works such as "The Collision of Truths," "Laotong," and "Eudaimonia" portray clenched fists, solidarity, and the pursuit of human flourishing.

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